A Shadow and Her Dragon
by ShadowJackal35
Summary: Although pledged to marry Date Masamune, former mercenary Kazehaya Rin still seems to be having trust deficiencies since the loss of her army, and with the battle against her brother continuing, matters only seem to get harder. As the sequel of A Dragon and His Shadow, we follow Rin and Masamune on a journey of trust as they work to defeat Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Together. DatexOC
1. Finding Our Enemies with a Shadow

**A Shadow and Her Dragon**

**Chapter One - Finding our Enemies with a Shadow**

"_Ma'am, I've searched the area. There are no survivors!" The soldier bowed as he approached Rin Kazehaya, the Crimson Shinigami, and she sighed._

"_**Damn**__. I guess we came too late then. __**Alright**__ men, let's head-Oh?" A board behind her crashed to the ground and she turned to face the cause of it. Her eyebrows arched questioningly as she saw a little girl cower against the wall of a burnt building._

_The little girl froze as her green eyes met a pair of coal black ones. They held each other for a moment, but without thinking, she began to run. "Uh, Ma'am-" Rin held a hand up to silence her subordinate and quickly ran after the girl. She was fast, but Rin quickly tackled her and they went rolling across the ground._

_Finally Rin sat up and held the girl in her lap, asking with a grin, "Hey **sw**__**eetie**__, what's up?" The girl glared and tried struggling but Rin only held her tighter and finally she stopped. "So there were survivors after all…" Rin muttered. "Tell me, are there any other-" a gun clicked behind Rin and she glanced behind her to see an older girl than the first point a pistol at her._

"_Let the girl go this instant, if you want to live." was the simple command. Rin smirked and held her hands up in surrender and the little girl she was holding scrambled to join the side of the teenager._

_Rin stood up slowly and said, "I'm not here to hurt any of you. My name is Kazehaya Rin and I'm a mercenary. I was sent here by a neighboring village to protect you guys, but it looks like I've come too late." She glanced around her at the decimated remains of the village and frowned._

"_Hell yeah, you did." The girl scowled and Rin winced but then smiled apologetically. _

"_Well, if it's any consolation to you, I can make it up by bringing you to the other village and they can-"_

"_Shut up!" The girl fired her pistol and Rin quickly dodged it, pulling out her fans from their holsters sewn at the belt on her back. "Because of you damned soldiers, my whole village was destroyed!" She yelled as she fired the gun again and Rin brushed the bullet away like a fly with her fan._

_She walked calmly towards the maroon haired girl and struck out with her right fan. The girl blocked it with the gun and pulled a second one out from behind her, firing it. _

_Rin pushed the gun into the air and they were head to head when she smiled and said, "You're quite strong," She dug her fans into the small hands of her opponent, causing her to drop her weapons and Rin kicked them behind her. The younger girl took a step back and Rin side kicked her, causing her to fall backwards._

"_But I am too." Rin placed her foot on top of the girl's chest and smiled when she asked, "What's your name?"_

_The girl scowled and replied, "Maka."_

"_Well, Maka, how would you like to join my army? You have potential, and I can teach you how to use those guns of yours. I'm sure it would be better than living an ordinary life in the village, don't you think?"_

_Maka clenched her teeth and asked, "And what if I decline?"_

_Rin shrugged, finally pulling her foot away and hiding her fans again. "Then you can either come with me to the neighboring village willingly or unwillingly. Either way, it's my job to bring any survivors back over there. Apparently you might have some relatives there or something."_

"_I have no family…" Maka muttered, looking away._

_Rin smiled and held a hand out to her saying softly, "Then why don't you become a part of mine?"_

* * *

"_Yo, Riku! Hiro! I'm back~" Rin waved broadly at the two young men just ahead. "Look what I've got! I've got some new friends." Hiro laughed and Riku groaned as they understood exactly what their leader meant by 'friends'. It seemed that every time they got new recruits she would immediately treat them as if she had known them for hundreds of years instead of only a few minutes._

"_Ahhh, Rin-Sama, not again." Riku scowled when Rin approached him and the older boy with two younger girls in tow. He stuck his tongue out at Maka and she copied him right away. "You're too soft. I mean, this is like the fifth time this week. We barely even know half the people you allow to join, you should be more careful."_

_Rin laughed as she dropped Kisa, the little mute girl who Maka had been taking care of since the raid, and she instantly grabbed onto Rin's baggy pants, clutching the pant leg tightly in her small fists. Rin patted her head affectionately and said, "Calm down Riku, you worry too much. I mean, how dangerous can these two be? As far as I know, they have no combat experience. … Yet."_

"_I don't worry!" Riku protested, "I just think ahead! And anyways, you should be considering who you trust too, you know! Especially when you decide to bring little girls in." He made an obvious look at Maka to make his point. "I mean, this one looks pretty ruthless underneath that pink hair of hers. What is she anyways, eight? That's way too young to join!"_

_Maka glared at him and said, "Well then! I'd happen to like you to know that I turned fifteen last month, you jerk!"_

"_Don't worry, Riku only likes pretending to be the tough guy because he thinks it'll get him more lady fans," teased the older boy, finally speaking up. His dark brown eyes shone with the sort of mischievousness you'd see in a fox and Maka could feel her cheeks turn red when he smiled at her brightly._

_He grinned as steam poured out of Riku's head and he tried hitting the older boy. "What was that, you damned fox?"_

_Rin laughed at all of them and finally said, "Now, now you two… We have some ladies here, so let's try behaving ourselves, __**okay**__?"_

"_Hmph," Riku huffed, folding his arms and muttering, "I hope you don't mean yourself, Rin-sama." _

"_So you two," Rin said with a grin after hitting Riku hard over the head, "This," she pointed to the man with dark brown hair and eyes, "This is Hoshikana Hiro. The lead tactician and cook of the group."_

"_Pleased to meet you," he said with a smile, bowing. He smiled at Maka directly and said charmingly, "You're very pretty, by the way."_

_Maka blushed. "He's also the lady-killer," Rin smiled and said, "Take note that about ninety percent of what he says is pure flattery and is not always honest, so don't take him too seriously."_

"_That's not very nice Rin-chan… Now I'll never be able to seduce them if they already know my trick," he said quietly as he smiled, his fox like eyes glinting and she stuck her tongue out at him playfully._

"_They're too young for you anyways, Hiro. And this," she poked Riku hard in the cheek with her pointer finger as he rubbed his now swollen head, "This squirt is Riku. The guy with a temper. __He may talk tough, but just ignore that, he's actually about your age Maka. _Feel free to bully him like crazy, because I have a feeling he'll invite himself to do the same to you before you even consider it."

_He stuck his tongue out again at Maka but didn't say anything. Hiro knelt on his knee and smiled at Kisa, "Well hello there, what might your name be?"_

_Kisa smiled and mouthed the words, but no sound came out. She frowned and looked down sadly. "Sorry…" Maka said quickly, "Ever since the raid she hasn't been able to speak…"_

"_I see." Hiro said knowingly. He ruffled Kisa's short brown hair and stood up again. "So I guess they really are new recruits?"_

_Rin nodded, "Yup. Well, at least Maka is. Maka's shown plenty of potential and since she says she has no other family, I decided she'd fit right in with us."_

"_But what about her?" He asked, nodding towards Kisa._

_Rin sighed and Kisa tugged on her pants again, her large eyes asking Rin to let her join. "I'm sorry Kisa, but I'm afraid you're just too young. And besides, you already have family waiting for you at the village."_

_Kisa's eyes questioned her and Rin smiled, "Didn't you know that you had family waiting for you?" She shook her head and Rin said, "Well you do. An Auntie named Hinata and an Uncle name Mashiro, don't you know them?"_

_Kisa shook her head again._

"_Well, I'll take you to them, and then maybe in a few years you can fight for me, alright?" Kisa frowned but finally nodded in agreement. "__**Good girl**__." Rin grinned approvingly and ruffled her hair again. "Hey, can you two take Kisa and show her around? I need to have a word with Maka." _

"_Sure," Hiro said with a smile. He held out a hand to Kisa and she took it timidly. "Alright Kisa-chan, follow me." She smiled and the three walked off together._

"_As for you," Rin turned to Maka and smiled, "You'll be my apprentice, __**sound good**__?" Maka sighed and Rin's smile dropped as she asked, "Is something wrong?"_

_Maka mumbled, "I've never really had a family before so… I…"_

"_Yes?"_

"_I'm just afraid… That I won't meet any of your standards… That's all. I mean, none of you are even blood related, right? But you've all known each other for so long, I'm sure, so how can I ever fit in?"_

_Rin thought for a moment, watching as the sun began sinking under the horizon. Finally she smiled kindly and pulled Maka into a hug, "Don't worry about that at all. Just be yourself. A family is a group of people who care and who love each other unconditionally. It doesn't matter if we share the same blood or not because we'll share each other's hearts instead. _

"_By agreeing to be my apprentice you won't even have to worry about trying to be 'one of us' because in the end, you already are. __**Understand**__?"_

_Maka didn't understand what Rin said at the end, but by her tone of voice she nodded and said, "Okay… I understand."_

"_Then welcome to the family Maka." Rin grinned and Maka finally smiled._

_Welcome to the family._

* * *

Maka shot up and started panting as a cold sweat trickled down her forehead. She pressed a fist into her forehead and shook her head. It's been a long time since she had thought about that memory… _Too long_… It caught her off guard. She looked outside as she caught her breath.

Just another day at Takeda Shingen's manor.

It's been about two months since she joined the Tiger of Kai's army, and she was still unused to it all. During her first week around, she seemed to be unable to open her heart to any of them. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't force herself to grow attached. That was, until she met Sanada Yukimura.

After meeting him, she was finally able to open up to her new comrades and now she could talk to them as easily as she had to the Crimson Shinigami's army. But still… She worried about getting too attached.

She sighed as she pulled on her shitagi and tied it. Today was the day.

The day she would finally get revenge for her old army, her family.

The day she would finally defeat Rin Kazehaya.

* * *

"Long time no see, Sanada Yukimura," Date Masamune said with a grin. Katakura Kojuro and Kazehaya Rin stood behind him quietly, each only smiling. It's been eight weeks since the battle with the Devil King and Maka was surprised when she saw her previous leader.

Without her long black hair tied into a pony tail, Rin seemed oddly different, even though it was the same basic haircut just without the long hair, and Maka wondered what had happened in the weeks they had been apart.

"I have waited impatiently for this day One-Eyed Dragon, Date Masamune! Come, let us have a fair fight!" Yukimura called back, readying himself for the impending battle.

"Perfect. Bring your A-game and let me enjoy this. _**Get up! **_Yah-ha!" Date unsheathed all six swords and ran straight for the younger man.

"Burn ablaze my soul!" Yukimura yelled. They clashed weapons and a large clanging noise resounded over the area they fought in.

Rin smiled fondly and Maka did the same. _Smile all you want, Kazehaya Rin,_ she thought,_ for today will be your last. Yours and the One-Eyed Dragon's._

She held her pistol and took aim carefully, then fired it and Rin jumped to the side just in time. Her eyes searched for the enemy and when her eyes met Maka's she grinned. She exchanged a quick word with Kojuro and walked towards Maka calmly away from Masamune and Yukimura's battle.

"Yo, Maka. It's been a while, eh?" They stood not too far apart and were still in view of the men's battle as Rin asked casually, "I suppose you're here for your revenge?"

"Indeed," Maka grinned as she aimed her pistol again carefully.

"Well, I hate to be rude, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to be brief. My Lord needs me elsewhere so," she drew her fans, "Let's be quick with this."

"Don't take me lightly, Crimson Shinigami!" Maka yelled, firing her pistol. Rin ran from side to side and was in front of Maka in a flash. She grinned and swiped the gun out of the way and then tried kicking Maka but she jumped backwards and drew her twin knives.

They clashed weapons again and were head to head when Rin said, "Ah, I see you're just as fast as ever. That's good to know, I wouldn't want our three years of training to go to waste."

Their weapons grated against each other and Rin grinned. Maka smiled back, "I learned a lot from you, Rin-sama." She aimed a kick at Rin's stomach but she jumped away before it could hit her.

"Oh?" Rin asked tauntingly, "I guess you did, but obviously not enough, if that's all you've got."

Now it was Maka's turn to grin. "Think again!" she shouted and pointed with her weapon at Rin's armor which was now singed where she had kicked.

Rin stared at it and then laughed, "I stand corrected. But..." She pointed at Maka's shoulder and where both shirts were torn. "You should be careful too." She lunged at Maka and they clashed weapons again. They pulled back and started their flurry of attacks. Maka pulled away not too much longer, panting. By then, the sky had been filled by ominous black clouds and Rin worried that it would start raining, which would prove a disadvantage for Yukimura. Although she now worked faithfully by Masamune's side, she couldn't help but worry about the other man.

After all, they had been friends before she joined the One-Eyed Dragon. She should really hurry back and make sure Masamune doesn't seriously kill him...

"Tired already?" Rin asked returning from her thoughts, "You must be out of shape or something Maka." She grinned and Maka scowled. Rin turned to look behind her just as an explosion suddenly erupted from where Date and Sanada were fighting and she sighed, "Geez, those two must really be going all out today. I swear, Masamune just doesn't know how to conserve his energy. Though, even still, I wonder if he'll be worn out at all when he attacks Takeda..."

She shook her head and laughed but Maka scowled, "_Hey_! Eyes over here!"

Rin looked back and smiled, "Sorry Maka, but I'm really going to have to cut this battle short now. A certain hot-headed daimyo of mine needs my help when he launches his attack on Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin's army, and if I'm correct that'll be in a few minutes, based on how Yukimura's attacks seem to be lessening. As strong as he is, he's no match for the One-Eyed Dragon."

"Don't you dare underestimate… The Cub of Kai!" Maka shouted, lunging at Rin again.

Rin blocked the attack and looked at Maka with avid interest, "Oh? Is it me Maka, or do you have a thing for Yukimura? That's new. That's kind of weird though, since he's completely different from Hiro." Maka clenched her teeth and Rin laughed, "I hope it works out for you then, I hear you're working for them now, so you'll have plenty of chances."

"Shut up!" Maka yelled, pivoting quickly. Rin lost her balance and was falling forward when Maka struck but Rin quickly regained control and deflected it.

"_**Psych**_," she grinned and the knife flew out of Maka's hold. It twirled through the air and landed not too far away. She quickly grabbed Maka's other wrist and twisted the knife out of it too, then forced her to get on her knees with her arm twisted behind her back. "Sorry Maka, looks like you lost this one."

She heard a horse whiny behind her and she turned to see Kojuro signal for Masamune's army to advance. "Hm… I see Yukimura has lost as well. Time to join the fun then." She turned back to Maka and held her fan like a sword. "Looks like this is it, Maka."

Maka closed her eyes, "I'm sorry everyone… I couldn't defeat her."

Rin was about to slam the cutting edge of her fan into Maka's neck to kill her when the sound of braying horses and thousands of marching footsteps caught her attention. She looked away from Maka and her eyes widened, "What the-?" She let go of Maka just in time to block a distorted sphere and she jumped away from it.

Maka fell flat on her face and Rin scowled as she turned to her right. "It's been a long time, Rin," came a deep voice. She clenched her teeth as a figure in black approached with soldiers clad in red with black banners followed not too far behind.

"Kaito," Rin said simply. Their eyes met and Rin's hold on her fans tightened visibly. Suddenly with a tight voice she smiled and said, "Hey Big Bro. I see you've recovered from our last battle, huh?" She studied his face and was satisfied to see a long red scar just under his right eye that stretched to his ear. A memento from their previous battle that took place only a few weeks ago.

Kaito nodded and said, "As have you." She waved her left arm obnoxiously to show how it had healed.

"Hmph, what the hell are you doing here?" she asked then, getting straight to the point.

He nodded his head behind her and she looked at what he turned his attention to. Rin turned around to see a man with white hair stand just over the cliff.

His voice called out clearly, "Let it be known to all generals and all soldiers, gathered here at Kawanakajima! We, the Toyotomi Army, have completely surrounded this battlefield!"

"Who the hell is-?"

"Surrender to Toyotomi!" The man continued, "We promise that upon your surrender we will deal plainly with you and we will not threaten your livelihood!"

Rin glowered as she watched the man shout his commands. Soon he was joined by another man who was as big as a mountain and she could feel the pit of her stomach clench. Just looking at him made her sick.

She looked down at Takeda and Uesugi's armies and their archers all lined up for an attack. She watched as a volley of arrows flew towards the figures on the cliff and with one sweep of his enormous arm the giant cleared them with a wind based attack. The arrows flew right back towards Takeda and Uesugi and Rin had to deflect a few as some stray ones headed towards her.

The giant on the cliff took a huge step forward and roared to the sky, throwing a fist to the air. The clouds parted to reveal a golden light where he had punched and Rin's eyes widened.

"What… A monster!" Rin breathed in both amazement and fear.

"This is… His power." Kaito said simply and Rin turned to look at him. He suddenly seemed different but she struggled to think of what it was that made him so.

"My name is Toyotomi Hideyoshi! Bow before me and become one under my command to bring prosperity to this country as valiant soldiers!" the giant yelled.

"That's quite a performance for a newcomer," came a voice and Rin turned back to see Masamune approach Toyotomi calmly. Lightning sparked around his swords as he crossed his arms and grinned, "But there's something not _**cool **_about you."

Rin heard a sudden _woosh_ of air and she turned back again as she saw a pair of Takeda's ninja subordinates appear and take hold of Maka. "Maka-san, we're here to help," one said and Rin grinned.

"See you later, Maka." She said calmly and Maka shot her a glare.

"I'll be getting you back soon," she promised and Rin laughed.

"Of course you will. I look forward to it but… Do me a favor and pass on a message to Yukimura when he wakes up."

"Heh?" Maka quirked an eyebrow up questioningly. "A... Message?"

"Obey me!" Toyotomi Hideyoshi yelled, "Those who do not obey will be shown no mercy!"

"_**Relief**_!" Masamune called back, "If it's a fight, you're on! If you can peel off even one of the dragon's scales, I'll do what you want."

"You do not know your place, boy. Will you find out just what you are made of?"

"Perfect. It's been awhile since I've run into someone who really disgusted me." He muttered as he unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Toyotomi.

"Masamune-sama!" Kojuro yelled, quickly joining him.

"Kojuro, don't interfere." Kojuro glanced behind him and met the gazes of Uesgui and Takeda calmly. Date raised his sword and said, "Number One of Oshu, Date Masamune, pressing on!"

He shot up towards the cliff Toyotomi was on like a bullet and Rin shouted, "Masamune!"

She started running towards him but Kaito quickly attacked with his katana and she had to block it, "Don't interfere!" he shouted.

Rin growled, "Get out… Of my way… _Kaito!_" She jumped back and then lunged forward, attacking again.

He blocked and as their weapons shook with the force on each side said calmly, "I can't… Let you interfere… Rin!"

Rin scowled and said, "Then die!" She pulled back and jumped high into the air, "_**Wind Scythe Onslaught**_!"

"Phantom Shield!" Rin's attacks were cancelled out as Kaito's own protected him. She landed and he attacked again, "Phantom Moon!"

"Tch!" Rin rolled to the side as she felt the pressure drop so suddenly the air collapsed in on itself in a sphere right where she had been. "You aren't going to get me with that again!" she shouted, remembering how her brother had used it only weeks before and it had broken her arm.

Kaito scowled and used the same attack. Rin dodged and quickly landed behind him. _He can only attack where he can see, so if I stay out of his line of sight-_

"Phantom Moon!"

"No way!" Before he had even turned around the area behind him became contorted looking and Rin jumped back quickly.

Kaito smiled as Rin landed farther behind him and said, "That won't work again Rin, I've learned how to attack in areas I can't see."

"Shit!" She grimaced. _And this time I'm sure he won't go easy on me. What do I do?_

"Rin!" shouted a voice. She turned to see Masamune charging at her on his horse and he held out a hand. She took it and he pulled her on as they sped away.

"Why are we running away?" she shouted at him as she turned her head to watch Kaito's form grow smaller.

He yelled back, "Don't blame me, ask Kojuro! It's _his_ stupid plan!"

"There'll be another time to attack," Kojuro called back and Rin grimaced.

"Let's just hope so…" she muttered and she pressed her cheek into Masamune's back tiredly.

* * *

A/N: -sigh- ... Well, I finally did it. I finally watched the first episode of season two for Sengoku BASARA again and managed to motivate myself into writing the first chapter.

As before, I'll keep close to the original series, probably by telling the same story with added OCs (meaning you'll see a lot of conversations that are completely word by word from the episodes, like Toyotomi's 'scene' for example), and just hope I make it through.

I swear to God, I'll never make it...

I didn't like season two as much as season one and my ideas are kind of waned out right now, so this will probably move slower than my first one... I'm planning on doing a lot with Maka but other than that, things should mostly center around Date and Rin. At least I managed to use Date's men's real names. -sob- Remember? Last time I just made up their names...

Alright, um... That's pretty much everything I have to say at the moment.

Just remember that Engrish words are **bold** and _italicized._

Thanks for reading,

- Jackal

(The title for this series is so original, huh? Considering the fact that it's pretty much the same as before only the slight opposite. Christ... I seriously have _no _good ideas for chapters or plots right now and I'm practically dying because of it... -foreveralone- Not to mention that crappy story summary on the cover... -angst angst angst-)


	2. Trusting a Shadow

**Chapter Two - Trusting a Shadow**

"Masamune," Rin said suddenly, one night. It was only the next day since the war council and Rin was keeping her lord company as Katakura was out… Doing… Doing whatever it was he did when he wasn't with Masamune.

Though speaking of which, _where __is__ Katakura_? Rin hadn't seen him since the last meeting, which was odd, as he was seen even less without the One-Eyed Dragon as her.

"Eh?" he asked lazily, looking up from what he was reading. "What is it, Rin?"

Rin clenched her fists to stop her fingers from moving, taking in a few moments of silence before answering, "W-well… I… Received a message recently, from Takeda Shingen, asking for a meeting and… He is unsure when he'll be free, but the message was urgent and… I just…" she bit her lip and finally spat out, "I just wanted to let you know that I'll be honoring his request."

"Oh?" he asked calmly and Rin stared at him.

"That's it?" she inquired disbelievingly, "Just 'oh'?"

He shrugged and looked back at the scroll saying, "Well, what else did you want me to say?"

Rin shook her head, "I don't know it's just… I thought you'd be more surprised or something."

Date sighed, "It'll be fine. I know you had a tight bond with Old Man Takeda and his army before joining me, and even though we're enemies now, I doubt he'd let anything happen to you. He's an honorable guy that way, right?"

Rin smiled and said, "Alright then… If you trust him that much…"

"When do you plan on going?"

"I'm not sure…" she said, running a hand through her hair, "Things are a little tight in his area, so he said he'd send Maka out when it was safer."

"_**Alright**_, just let me know when you leave then."

"Number one! Number one!" yelled a panicked voice.

"Th-th-there's trouble, Number One!" yelled another equally panicked one.

Date stood up abruptly, his hakama rustling as he moved to the screen door. He opened it and asked coolly, "What is it? Have you found the _**spying **_bastard from Toyotomi's camp or something?"

Rin stood up to join him as she watched Yoshinao and Samanosuke lean on a knee to bow quickly to Masamune and Yoshinao said nervously, "W-we're under attack!"

"Nabu, Tsugaru, and Souma!" Samanosuke answered, "From all three fronts at the same time!"

"Eh?" Masamune tensed and Rin looked at him uneasily. "_**Shit**_! So they've come already." He turned to walk back into the room but paused and asked, "You've sent someone to notify Kojuro too?"

He turned slightly to look at them and Yoshinao answered, "Yes, Sir. Bunshichiro has gone to let Master Katakura-"

"Number One!" screamed a voice from another direction. All four warriors turned to watch Bunshichiro and Magobe run towards them, Bunshichiro yelling, "M-Master Katakura's been…!"

The two tripped and rolled in front of Masamune, Magobe recovering quickly to say, "O-Suzu from the village and her granddaddy came running to my place! They said someone had gotten Master Katakura!"

"What?" yelled Yoshinao and Samanosuke in surprise as Masamune stared at them.

Rin tensed and said, "No way, that's… That's not possible!" True, Katakura had been missing for a few hours, but it couldn't possibly have been because he was taken hostage, could he have?

Bunshichiro bowed before Masamune as he held a sword along the palms of his hands and said, "We found this in the field on the hill…"

"That's Master Katakura's…" Yoshinao began slowly.

"The Kokuryu!" Samanosuke finished.

Masamune walked towards them and took the sword from Bunshichiro, studying it gravely.

"It would seem he was attacked by a group of men late last night," Bunshichiro said woefully, his blue jaw guard trembling as he spoke, "Using dirty tricks, they took Master Katakura away somewhere… We found who the traitor was too."

Masamune continued to stare at the sword he held with disgust until he finally held it at his side and asked, "Who was the ringleader of this band? Did he reveal his identity?"

The group of men in front of him looked at each other in trepidation and Magobe finally answered, "It seems that it was Toyotomi's-"

"Takenaka Hanbei!" finished Bunshichiro.

Date was quiet until he said, "Send scouts to Osaka." Bunshichiro stood up quickly as he ended with, "Once we reunify Oshu, we'll immediately get him back."

"Yes, Sir!" he yelled, instantly running off.

"Don't just sit there," Masamune said in a dangerously calm voice, finally yelling, "We're going to war!"

"Y-yes sir!" the other men yelled, hurrying off.

"_**Good courage**_. Make a fool of me will he?" Date muttered.

"M-Masamune…" Rin said apprehensively.

"Looks like it's going to be a rough _**party**_…" He glared at his reflection in the sword once more as Yoshinao's conch sounded in the distance, alerting the other men to prepare for battle. He turned to Rin and she tensed. "Rin."

"Yes?"

"I'm going out, but I want you to stay here and keep things _**cool**_."

"What?" she cried, taking a defiant step towards him, "No way! I'm going out with you, you need all the help you can-"

"No!" Masamune exploded, glaring at her and she flinched. "No…" he said again, calmly this time, looking away and clenching his fists. His knuckles were turning white as he gripped Kojuro's sword tightly. He looked back at her and finally said softly, "Please…" he walked towards her and hugged her. His arm was wrapped tightly around her shoulders and his hand clutched her opposite shoulder as his other one wound itself into her hair. His grip tightened around her as he whispered to the back her head, "Just stay here Rin, _**okay**_?"

"But… Why?" Rin asked equally quiet, her arms still at her sides unresponsively. She could feel tears threaten to pour out but she held them back and bit her lip. _He's leaving me behind? _she thought dejectedly.

He broke away and started walking past her as he mumbled, "It's for the best."

Rin stood silently by herself as Date's footsteps receded and he walked further away from her. "Why?" she asked again softly to herself, looking out into the distance.

* * *

"Kazehaya Rin," came a voice.

Rin didn't turn around as she answered wearily, "Maka… Yes… What is it? Is it time for me to visit Takeda-sama already?"

Date had already left for the frontline ages ago, and all Rin could do was sit and worry, her cheek lying on her hand which was propped against her leg. She hadn't moved an inch from where Date had left her, and only stared at the landscape in confusion. She kept stressing out the reasons why Date wouldn't want her by his side, but all she could come up with was that he didn't trust in her strength.

That he didn't trust her.

But why? She's strong too, maybe no less stronger than he or Katakura, so why didn't he want her with him? It just didn't make any sense.

Maka shook her head and said, "No, but I came with some interesting news for you. Apparently, Takeda-sama had caught word that strong forces are being sent towards your lord directly, and he wished for me to warn you of them." Though in truth, Maka really wasn't sure why, as he was aware of the history she shared with the former mercenary.

_But he had sent Yukimura-kun on another job earlier today and Sasuke-kun is busy scouting… Leaving me as the only other time-efficient and trustworthy messenger. _Maka worried that she'd lose her temper or something and attack Rin, defying Takeda's direct orders of not to.

"Oh?" Rin asked distractedly, "And why might that be important to me? Masamune is strong… Stronger than any other man in the world, he should be just fine to take care of it on his own, right?"

Maka sighed, fighting the urge to butt in that Sanada Yukimura was even stronger, instead she settled with, "I suppose so, however… He also wanted to let you know that these strong forces that they're sending, happens to be Toyotomi Hideyoshi himself."

That seemed to wake Rin from her stupor and she stood up abruptly, turning to face the other girl and demanding, "Where are they sending him?"

* * *

_Damn it, I'll never make it in time! _Rin thought furiously, still racing to reach Suriagehara, the destination where Maka had warned her that Toyotomi Hideyoshi had been dispatched. She spurred her horse even harder.

_What is it about that guy that makes him so strong? _She wondered. _He conceals no weapons at all and just his size seems to be enough to fight even the strongest of warriors… And why does is it seem that he's detached from the world? Like he has no emotions at all or goals other than ruling everything… _

_Kind of makes you nostalgic for Oda Nobunaga… _Rin shuddered as she remembered the Devil King, who had been taken down mere months ago.

Suddenly a woman's form in the distance began to near her and she stood directly in Rin's path. "Damn it," Rin muttered, then yelled, "Move out of the way!"

The woman only smirked as Rin attempted to steer her horse to the side and in a flash the horse lay dead and Rin was flying through the air. She flipped a few times before landing gracefully, then pulled out her fans just in time to block a katana, which cut through the air easily.

She grunted as her opponent pressed into her and asked sweetly, "Late for something, sweet heart?"

Rin used all her strength to push the woman back and then jumped a considerable distance away, saying heatedly, "Actually, I am, so would you mind getting the hell out of my way?"

"Now that's no way for a young lady to speak!" her opponent said with another giggle.

Rin scowled, "Right, whatever, so who are you?"

"Oh, I'm forgetting my manners, my apologies," she returned her katana to its sheath as the kusari-fundo, chained at the butt of the sword and linked through an opening at the bottom of her sheath, clinked gently. "My name is Iruka Akane, the Crimson Shinigami, and I'm a hired mercenary for Toyotomi Hideyoshi. And unfortunately for you, my job is to keep out any who wish to interfere with Takenaka Hanbei's plans."

Rin stared at her in amazement for a moment before snorting. Her controlled giggles soon turned into energetic laughter and Akane quirked an eyebrow at her questioningly. "Is something the matter? You find something amusing?"

Rin tried calming her laughter as she choked out, "_Iruka? _Your last name is _iruka?_"

She continued snickering as Akane glared, flipping cherry red hair behind her back indignantly, "Yes, it is. Go ahead and laugh, if you're really so immature."

Rin took up her offer, much to Akane's annoyance. Finally, with a deep breath, Rin calmed her laughter and grinned at Akane. "And you say you're called the 'Crimson Shinigami'?"

Akane nodded and Rin's grin grew wider, "Well isn't that a coincidence." She snapped her fans open and said, "My name is Kazehaya Rin, Crimson Shinigami and Shadow of the One-Eyed Dragon! I hate to say it to you, but there's only enough room in this land for one crimson shinigami."

"Hmph…" Akane smiled and said, "You're right about that, at least. So then, shall we settle this in a battle to the death?"

Rin grinned, "I wouldn't want it any other way. After all, you work for Toyotomi right? You're a threat and an enemy to my lord, and it's my duty to keep him safe, so therefore, unless you change your ways, I'm going to have to get rid of you."

"Then…" Akane lifted the sheath of her katana so her right hand could grasp the hilt, "I shall grant you the most beautiful death. Shall we begin, Crimson Shinigami?"

"Give me everything you got!" A hot wind blew across the land, causing Rin's short hair to sway and Akane's blood red and white kimono-like clothes rustled.

Rin attacked first, striking out quickly with her fan open and Akane blocked quickly with her katana. Rin used her other fan closed and aimed for Akane's neck but she quickly limited the length of the chain and used it as a sort of shield. The fan struggled against the chain mere inches from her exposed neck.

"Ah," Rin said through gritted teeth, "Isn't it cheating to use _kusari-fundo_?"

Akane only smiled back apologetically, "Perhaps, but I'm a woman, and therefore am at a disadvantage to any men I fight."

"Well that's not a valid excuse in this case. Though, then again, I suppose that's fair enough, considering there are no rules in war!" Akane pulled back and then struck again, sparks flying as their weapons crashed into each other for a second time. "Though I think you're taking too much advantage of being a female."

"One can never do that," was Akane's reply.

"Really? Oh well, I just came up with something." They broke apart and Rin jumped into the air, twisting upside down with her fans slicing around her body. Akane blocked it and Rin landed not too far away. They locked themselves into another block, now on opposite sides than before, and Rin finally continued, "Instead of 'Crimson Shinigami' I think I'm just going to nickname you 'Junior' because I'm older than you. You're seventeen, right?"

Akane steamed as she cried, "I am not! I'm twenty-five!"

Rin blinked a few times in surprise, then laughed and said, "Oh… So you're actually three years older than me? Oops, sorry 'bout that. You're kind of childish, though you might as well just stay as 'Junior' as I'm known for the name 'Crimson Shinigami' more so than you."

Rin jumped back and into the air, sweeping her fan once, "Wind scythe!" A gust of wind in the shape of the edge of her fan flew off the end and Akane crouched in preparation for it.

"Enough with your jokes!" Akane yelled. When it got closer, she swept forward with her katana, and as a line of fire collided with Rin's attack shouted, "Flame cut!"

"'Flame cut'? Not very creative with names I see…" The wind and fire dissipated as Rin landed and she grinned in approval, "Ah, so your element is fire? That's kind of a surprise for a water creature such as you, Iruka-chan, though with hair like yours, I suppose it evens out."

Akane popped a vein as she forced a smile and said, "Honestly, would you drop that already? It's not that funny." She struck out again as Rin deflected it.

"But I just think it's so cute, Ne-chan!"

"Stick with the last name!" Akane yelled, steam pouring from her head now, and Rin laughed as she jumped away again. "Gr… That's it, I'm definitely killing you."

"Oh?" Rin teased, "You weren't going to before?"

Akane only scowled as she unhooked the chain from the end of her sheath and dropped it behind her. Now free of its constricting limit, she threw the chain at Rin. Rin deflected it but the weight, the _fundo_, bounced off her fan and wrapped itself around her arm. Akane smiled triumphantly and pulled.

"Ergh!" Rin grunted as the force pulled on her arm and she resisted. She used the cutting edge on her fan to cut the chain but it remained unmarred even after several determined slicing motions.

"No use," Akane chided, "These chains are made of a special metal that absolutely refuses to be cut by a mere knife edge, even one as sharp as your fans, and you should try harder some other time." She wrapped the chain around her hand to add to her force and tugged on it again, forcing Rin to follow it to make sure her arm wasn't ripped off.

"Oh yeah?" Rin yelled, "That's cool and everything, but the problem with chains is that they work both ways!" Akane quirked an eyebrow questioningly as Rin grabbed hold of the chain and pulled with equal force as Akane, tugging at the end of the katana. With it wrapped by the chain, Akane's hand was in just as much trouble as Rin's arm, and had no way of freeing itself unless Rin loosened her hold.

The two wrestled for the chain and finally, with one last tug, it broke. Rin grinned as the tension was released and she pulled remaining bits off her arm. She held it up and said, "Some special metal _that_ was. Even though it didn't like being cut, it certainly wasn't averse to snapping!"

Akane scowled, "You'll pay for that!"

She ran towards Rin and struck at an angle but Rin blocked it, and this time, with her sheath discarded behind her and no _kusari_ left, Rin was left with an open shot of Akane's neck. Though even so, she didn't take the advantage it.

Instead, she freed her fan from the katana's force by jumping back and with a sudden lunge forward, used the butt of it to punch Akane hard in the stomach. The power of it traveled throughout her body and Akane coughed up some spittle, then dropped her weapon in surprise. Her body leaned onto Rin's outstretched arm as she fell to her knees and Rin smiled and said softly, "You lose, Crimson Shinigami."

She pulled her arm back as Akane fell to her face and sheathed her fans. "Well then," she said cheerfully, walking towards a lone horse not too far away, "I believe since I won this round, I get to keep your horse as payment? I mean, you did kill mine, after all."

Akane scowled, "Why don't you kill me while you're at it? Didn't you say I was a threat and an enemy to your lord? That you would have to 'eradicate' me? That there was only enough room for one crimson shinigami?"

Rin mounted the horse and said, "Nah, I don't have the time or the heart right now. I had too much fun and besides, you take things too seriously. I was only joking about the 'one crimson shinigami' per land thing." She coaxed the horse into a slow trot past Akane's still form and continued, "I already told you before that I was in a rush, and this little battle only ate up more of my precious time, so I really have to go now."

"But I lost…" Akane mumbled, pushing herself up to look the other woman in the eyes, "And a loss means death…"

Rin stopped the horse as she grinned and said, "Oh, get over yourself, Drama Queen. One loss isn't the end of the world." She started moving forward again and without looking back called, "Well, I'll be off then. If you ever need me, come find me with Date Masamune, the One-Eyed Dragon and daimyo of Oshu. I had fun, Ne-chan."

Akane smiled faintly as she yelled back, "I told you to stick to the last name!" Rin only held up a hand as 'goodbye'. "Hmph..." Akane said to herself, picking up her katana and looking at her reflection in the blade. She smiled and said, "You're an interesting woman, Kazehaya Rin-chan."

* * *

The sun was beginning to set when Date and his army reached Suriagehara, and he and his army were beyond worn out, but they continued their battle with as much energy as they could.

He waited as they caught up to him and then yelled out to the opposing army and their commander, "Takenaka Hanbei, you've saved me the trouble of coming after you."

"It was a mistake to divide up your army equally, Masamune-kun," Takenaka answered smoothly from the other side of the field.

"What?"

"If it were Katakura-kun, he would have sent the smallest forces possible to Nanbu, Tsugaru, and Souma and fought evenly matched battles or drawn them in as close as he could before dealing with them because he would have been wary that it was a feint to make it easier for another detachment to invade."

Masamune's eye narrowed in revulsion as Hanbei raised his sword high into the air and signaled for his troops to attack.

He spurred his horse forward, then jumped high into the air and yelled, "_**Be right there**_!"

Rin had just reached the edge of a cliff to witness part of Masamune's battle with Takenaka Hanbei. She was dismounting to study the battle field and although they were badly outnumbered, Date's men seemed to be holding out. At least for now…

It had happened suddenly, but everything seemed to move in slow motion, and it was if sound had been muted. Takenaka landed gracefully behind Masamune as he turned around, shocked about what had transpired.

She had been running, preparing to join the battlefield and had screamed his name as she slid to a stop, and numerous cries from the One-Eyed Dragon's army arose, as they watched Hanbei calmly, almost leisurely, strike Date. The emblem on his back tore and Masamune quickly jumped away, scowling.

Time returned to normal as a few of Date's men realized what happened, and Masamune's ripped emblem stood out like a sore thumb on his back.

"Normally," Hanbei said calmly, "That back of yours would be protected by Katakura-kun… And although she is strong, your Shadow is no more so than your Right Eye, so with the danger of your Right Eye missing, you were too afraid to bring her, leaving yourself wide open for an attack. It's so easy to slash apart now."

"Bastard…" Masamune shook with anger.

"I promise that he will be treated cordially. So rest easy and die a noble death here in Suriagehara."

"That's just perfect," Masamune growled, "I'll pay you back for that right here, right now!" His eye glowed blue as he unleashed a powerful attack and yelled, "_**War Dance**_!"

It hit Hanbei full force and he spun, quickly recovering in time to parry Masamune's sudden strength, his attacks coming even more forcefully than before. Hanbei scowled as he thought when the sound of approaching hoof beats caught his attention. His scowl deepened as Oshu troops approached the battlefield and Takenaka struck the ground, causing a cloud of dust to arise as he escaped.

He chuckled quietly to himself as he rode away, other men from his army joining him and Date cursed, "_**Damn it**_." He started following on foot but the sudden cries of his men stopped him and he realized how much danger they were still in. As much as he hated it, now was not the time to go after that Takenaka Hanbei bastard.

"Masamune!" Rin screamed again, suddenly by his side.

"Rin?" he looked at her in surprise, then glared and yelled, "_**Damn it **_Rin, I told you to stay home!"

She glared right back and shouted, "I know, but there's bad news, Maka came to tell me that-"

"Not now Rin, the point is that you disobeyed me. What, you didn't think I could handle this on my own? Why _the hell_ did you come here?"

Rin grit her teeth as she tried controlling her temper, suddenly forgetting about the news of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's approach, "I _know _I didn't listen to you, but _you_ were the one who didn't trust _me_ in the first place! Weren't Takenaka's words correct? That you thought I would be unable to protect your back as well as Katakura?" They glared at each other for a moment, the air even tenser than before.

Masamune sighed as he turned away from her and she instantly regretted yelling. "Masamune…" she mumbled, backing down, "I'm sorry…"

"This is totally not _**cool**_," he finally said wearily, as he started walking off. He grinned as enemy soldiers approached cautiously, "The moment I'm robbed of my Right Eye, and my own Shadow decides to disobey a direct order, this is the mess I get into…"

Lightning sparked around his body as he muttered, "Even I have to admit it disgusts me!"

The men ran at him and his helmet flew off, the power of his lightning intensifying and the men were all thrown back. "_**Come on! It's not over yet!**_" He ran off to take on another batch of enemy units and Rin sighed.

"Let's just hope Maka was wrong about what she told me…" she turned in time to deflect an incoming sword, then slit its wielder's neck. "But… Don't wear yourself out yet, Masamune. We still have a long way to go."

* * *

Rin panted as she watched Masamune stand against the still setting sun. Her body ached all over, and she shook slightly, her legs threatening to buckle beneath her, but she stood firm. _So were Takeda-sama's messengers wrong when they sent word that Toyotomi would be here? _She wondered, agitated. _He would never send false information to me on purpose, would he?_

"_**Wake up. Wake up guys!**_" Masamune suddenly yelled at the seemingly deserted battlefield. It was as if none but the couple had been spared in this rigorous battle, but thankfully, at least twenty of Date's men pushed themselves up tiredly and headed towards their leader. They were all beyond the normal human limitations, and Rin worried even more.

"Number One…" They all mumbled, clustering together.

"_**All right**_," Masamune said approvingly, "You guys did well to survive. We've taken back Oshu for now."

"Yes, Sir."

Masamune turned to face Rin and she forced herself to smile weakly for him. He smiled back wearily as Samanosuke muttered, "Number One," again; the torn crest on his back showing itself to them all.

"Damn it," Magobe said sadly.

"Only Master Katakura can protect Number One's back…" Bunshichiro said and Rin frowned as she thought unhappily, _That's right… No matter what I call myself… Shadow, wife, lover… I am no match for Katakura, the Right-Eye of the Dragon, who will always be by his side._

"We'll go back and prepare for war," Date said with his back still turned to his men. "We'll be headed for Osaka. To crush Toyotomi." He turned to glance at them now, a determined look in his eye. "While we're there getting Kojuro back."

He turned around again and walked past Rin, pausing for a moment to collect his thoughts. A wind blew and suddenly he turned around, sensing something big approach them. His men followed suit and Rin's eyes widened as a giant hulk of a body appeared to be walking towards them.

"Shit, no way!" Rin whispered. "He really did… They really _did_ send him here!"

"Eh?" Masamune eyed her warily and she gritted her teeth.

"Masamune… I meant to tell you earlier, but I never got the chance. Toyotomi Hideyoshi-!" She couldn't complete her sentence, as the larger man's distinct image could be seen now, and she froze in fear.

Date's men tensed, a few crying out in apprehension as Toyotomi continued nearing them and Samanosuke stuttered, "Th-that's…!"

"To-T-T-" Yoshinao also stammered.

Date's frown deepened as he turned to face the other daimyo, "Toyotomi Hideyoshi!"

"Masamune!" Rin whispered fiercely. "Stop, don't get any closer! You can't fight him now!"

He ignored her and started walking towards the oncoming giant, "You've got a good attitude, coming to greet me in person. You've saved me the trouble of going all the way to Osaka." Another stifling wind blew across the land and a discarded banner flew past them.

"Hmph, snakes are more tenacious than one might expect. No matter how poor their caliber," the other man replied, as the two stopped a mere few paces from each other.

Date breathed a laugh of disgust, "So you say, but your own caliber's nothing to be proud of either. Especially for someone of your size.

"_**So easy**_. You left the extermination of a snake to your underlings, but considering how you've come all this way to check on it yourself…" Toyotomi narrowed his eyes as Masamune continued, "It means that unfortunately for you, those eyes of yours see me properly for the dragon that I am."

"A miserable retort," Toyotomi said, unimpressed. "So you intend to defy me?" Date gripped his sword with both hands, as the other continued, "When all your scales have been peeled away and you have even lost your right eye?"

"Hmph, is that right?" Date asked mockingly, "Looks like I overestimated you. In short, you don't know the difference. That's what it means. Let me tell you something. You can't take a dragon's scales until he's kicked the bucket! Not a single one!"

His men all tensed and Rin whispered, "Masamune… Please… Don't do this, you're in no condition to fight him!"

"Not only that, but you can take away a man's eye, but you could never take his shadow!" Rin sighed and thought, _And why the hell are you bringing __me__ into all of this?_

Toyotomi crouched down and pulled his fist back answering, "Perhaps not, but even a shadow will betray its master when times get dark. You shall suffer defeat and know your place!"

Date yelled his war cry as he shot into the sky and his and Toyotomi's attacks clashed, the forces so powerful it caused the land around them to deteriorate.

"Damn it," Rin hissed, then screamed, "Masamuneeee!"

* * *

_Several Days Later_

"Rin-chan! Rin-chan! He's awake, he's awake!" Bunshichiro shouted excitedly, grinning from ear to ear just outside her door.

Rin stood up abruptly, the scroll falling out of her lap as she ran behind him straight towards where they had kept Masamune. He ran off in another direction to gather the other men but she went straight inside. She slammed the screen door open to reveal a very confused and very wounded Date, who looked at her from his back.

"Rin?" he asked weakly, wondering why she looked so worked up.

At first she felt angry. She wanted to yell at him for being stupid enough for trying to take on Toyotomi Hideyoshi in the worn out condition he had been in, but then her anger turned to joy… For a moment, she thought she had truly lost her dragon, but he was alive now. Wounded… But definitely alive. And finally her joy turned to into a mix of emotions as relief swept through her body.

She walked towards him and collapsed to her knees at his side, tears pouring out of her eyes. "Masamune…" she finally whispered.

* * *

A/N: I'm probably going to prison for using exact dialogue from the show, and adding my own nonsense, but... Sigh...

Alright, stuff to cover for this chapter:

* Akane Iruka's name:_ Iruka_ translates into 'dolphin' in English. So Iruka Akane's name should translate into "Deep Red Dolphin" (from first name to last in that case.) Which is why Rin keeps laughing at her.

* Kusari-fundo: Normally a weapon considered impractical to use, Akane uses it anyways. The _kusari _is just a chain and the _fundo _is a weight at either end of it, although in this case, it's only at one end because it's the other is chained at the end of Akane's katana.

* Akane's clothes: I couldn't really find a good place to write a description about her, also because I only faintly know what she looks like anyways, but I can tell you she has red hair about waist length tied in a half-ponytail and a red and white half-kimono half-shrine maiden clothes. That's about all I know about her, I'm afraid. :)

And that should be about it. The events are a little messed up, going back and forth between Masamune and Rin, though it should have made sense in the end.

Thanks for reading, and keep an eye out for the next chapter.

- Jackal


	3. Arguing with a Shadow

**Chapter Three – Arguing with a Shadow**

"Masamune…" Rin whispered hoarsely She walked towards him and dropped to her knees, weak with relief. Her eyebrows arched into an upside down V as large tears formed in the corners of her eyes and Date blinked in alarm.

"Rin, what's going on? Where are we? What happened?" Date asked in confusion, turning his head from side to side to scan the tiny room quickly. He tried pushing himself up but instantly grunted in pain and had to lay back down, settling with just turning his head to the side to see Rin.

She didn't answer as she suddenly leaned forward and held his face with both her hands, suddenly kissing him firmly. He blinked again as his confusion doubled but responded quickly and kissed back with equal passion. He reached up weakly to touch her cheek and she placed her hand on top of his to keep it there.

"You're such an idiot, you know that?" she asked when she finally pulled away, her voice quivering. She shook her head violently to further vocalize her words, "Such a stupid, stupid…_ Idiot_!"

She kissed him again and when she pulled away this time he only said in an amused tone of voice, "Well, good morning to you too, then." He glanced around again before asking, "Not that I mind being woken up like this, in my opinion, you should really do it like that more often, but is there any particular reason why you're so _**affectionate**_ today?"

Rin sat back on her heels and she sniffed, wiping her tears away with the heel of her hand. "You don't remember?" He looked at her somewhat blankly and she looked away nervously. She unconsciously grabbed onto her bangs and began running her fingers through it. "Well..." she trailed off slowly.

"What happened?" he questioned. Rin folded her hands in her lap now but was still at a loss for words. She knew he wouldn't take the news of his defeat against Toyotomi lightly and she wondered how gently she'd be able to break it to him. Perhaps she should just leave it to his army to explain it. After all, it was his _army_ who really saved Masamune's life, not her, so maybe it really would be better to just let them handle it, as Masamune would take their loyalty into account. Maybe it would soften him up…

_No… That wouldn't be completely fair to them,_ she decided. _She_ would have to be the one to break the news. _She_ would have to be the one bear Masamune's anger first, which she knew for sure would occur, if she knew Masamune as well as she thought she did.

"Rin. _What happened_?" Masamune asked again, more stern this time and breaking through Rin's train of thought. Rin's fingers danced in her lap and she bit her lip as Date focused a piercing gaze on her.

Finally she looked back at him and took a deep breath, grasping the hand that lay at his side with both of hers and answering, "You were defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Suriagehara several days ago. Your men just barely managed to save your life and they brought you out here to recover..."

She watched as Masamune thought her words over but they didn't seem to quite register immediately. She entwined their fingers together but he didn't seem to notice at all and Rin chewed on her lip in nervous anticipation.

Defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi? _Him_? The One-Eyed Dragon?

Impossible.

Date remembered now that he had been weak at the time of the battle but surely he hadn't _lost_. After all, he had already been forced to retreat in the last battle with the giant, so he couldn't have possibly lost _again._

Masamune thought this all over as Rin gripped his hand tightly, trying to keep her voice gentle, "Masamune… Your army has been waiting for your recovery for a long time now, and I'm sure they'd much rather tell you about what happened, so I'm going to leave now so you can talk to them. Man to men, okay?"

He wouldn't answer so she kissed him gently on the cheek and squeezed his hand one last time before finally standing up and walking towards the sliding door.

Just as she got to it though Masamune called solemnly, "So I really got my _**ass **_kicked, huh?"

Rin paused, her hand gripping the handle tightly as she said, equally solemn, "Not at all Masamune… We were at a giant disadvantage without Kojuro and you were badly injured already. No one blames you for what happened… I'm just grateful that you managed to survive."

He shook his head in disgust, "Heh, I'm a pretty sorry man then, for losing to the likes of _him_. If it weren't for the fact that Kojuro is in trouble, I'd have to commit _seppuku_. What _**humiliation**_."

Masamune chuckled darkly and Rin finally whipped around to shout, "_Why don't you get it Masamune?_ Why don't you understand that you can't win every battle in life?!"

Rin grit her teeth as Masamune eyed her wearily, "And why not? If it's like you said, I would have been killed if it weren't for my army, because I lost. This is war, Rin. If you lose, you die."

"But _you didn't,_" she argued."Toyotomi Hideyoshi spared your life so that shows you're allowed second or even third chances, even in war!"

Suddenly Rin remembered her battle with Iruka Akane and how surprised she was when Rin hadn't killed her.

"_But I lost, and a loss means death." _

She had said it with such a firm vindication Rin had taken pity on her. To Rin, a loss was only a loss and she was unused to the idea of having to kill every opponent for a battle, just for it to be considered a successful and official victory.

As a mercenary, she had participated in countless bloody battles, but not all of them seemed to involve immediate death. There was always a choice to spare the life of her opponent or kill and she could name innumerable men she had managed to defeat without blood shed. It was something she had learned as a child from watching her brother fight off stray bandits and chasing them away instead of killing them… Maybe that was how she had managed to raise such a large army for just one woman with a pair of fans and battle knife. Perhaps it was her sense of judgment between mercy and murder that earned her the title of "Shinigami".

"Rin," Date finally said, stern again, "If I can't win against a weaponless man like Toyotomi Hideyoshi, I'm no more fit to call myself a dragon than the common garden snakes just outside our walls, like he says. Why don't _you _understand that?"

"Because _I_ understand that you_ aren't _invincible, despite what you believe!" she took a deep breath after her second outburst and silence filled the room. Masamune stared at her, a somewhat wounded expression on his face.

She took another deep breath to steady herself before whispering faintly, "You're _just one man_ Masamune; you can't be a dragon every day. You have to realize that you'll lose battles, that there's always someone better than you, and that…" she shook her head from side to side gently and whispered even more quietly, "That sometimes you have to retreat and suffer a minor loss to win bigger battles."

The room was tense and Rin felt as if it were strangling her then. She looked at her feet to avoid Date's alarmingly calm gaze and he took his time before replying evenly, "Is that what you decided when you lost your army?"

Rin's eyes widened in surprise, looking up from her feet to meet Date's composed gaze. Although Rin was at a much different elevation than he, their gazes held each other and a new wave of emotions washed over her. Anger, sadness, guilt… Betrayal. She was surprised that Date had dared to bring up such a touchy subject.

Although she honored her army's memory every day by herself, it wasn't a topic she still wasn't ready to discuss openly, even to the closest man she could think of.

Rin's eyes filled with tears again and she whispered, "Yes."

"And did you succeed?" Masamune asked, knowing full well what the answer would be.

Rin bit her lip and clenched her fists tightly, suddenly shaking with emotion. She knew that he had meant for his words to cut her, but she didn't understand why. He always said he hated seeing her cry, so to intentionally mention something so painful to her was baffling. Why did he suddenly seem so spiteful? Unless... That wasn't the case this time and he actually _wanted_ to see her cry.

Well, if that was the case, she certainly wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears. With a sort of infuriated determination she turned back to face the door and gripped the handle again as she answered in a hollow voice, "No."

"Hmph." Was the last reply she got before she left the room.

After she left, Masamune lay back down to stare at the ceiling and murmured to himself, "You were supposed to cry and break down first so I could apologize, you little flake... Rin..." he turned his head to stare at the closed door and stated morosely, "You choose to be too passive at all the wrong moments... But maybe..." he closed his eye wearily, "I'm not so different either... And that's where we're both wrong."

* * *

Date's army jumped as Rin unexpectedly threw open the door and they shuffled nervously, obviously caught in the act of eavesdropping.

They had just overheard their leader fight with his fiancée and not about something as trivial as what sort of colors they should have at their wedding, like what most couples would probably argue about, or even their usual little quarrels, but an actual _fight_. This made them very uneasy.

It didn't even involve yelling or screaming like most arguments between couples did, but maybe that was what was really frightening about it. Instead of unleashing their true anger on each other and getting a rid of their negative emotions, they bottled it up and became stoic and distant. It was as if they were suddenly pushing each other away to avoid the pain of actually hurting each other with their true emotions instead of getting to the point and just getting it out of the way.

The Date army parted nervously as Rin walked past them silently.

"Rin-chan..." Magobe murmured sadly but Rin ignored the fat man. It wasn't like her to be so stoic and they wondered whether they would have been better off if she had lectured them like she would have about eavesdropping. If these were normal circumstances, she would have, but tonight was not the night. Instead, she passed through the whole army as quickly as she could and wished for them all to just disappear. They watched her retreating form silently before sharing anxious glances.

As Rin left, she had managed to hold back her tears but as soon as she had gotten a fair distance away a cry ripped from her chest and her tears finally fell down. They were crystal like pearls that dripped freely down her cheeks and against the side of her hand, which she used to cover her mouth to hold back any other cries of anguish.

Masamune didn't realize how deeply his words cut her but it was more because of her sudden realization than his actual words. He had been absolutely right and it was as if his mentioning it had suddenly woken Rin up to the realization that all the people who previously trusted her had died. It _had_ been her fault that so many people lost their lives and she tried all she could to redeem herself, but the truth was, she could never truly be forgiven. Not by herself and especially not by Maka, who firmly believed that the only way to avenge her family was the death of their once admirable leader.\

Why didn't she understand it earlier?

Her shoulders heaved as she bit back her sobs. "Masamune," she whispered to herself, "You're such… An idiot."

* * *

The following week went by relatively quickly. The One-Eyed Dragon had recovered enough to move independently and as soon as he was well enough to travel, had decided to continue their journey to Osaka.

Masamune and Rin had barely exchanged two words to each other in that time as they rode along the countryside, even as the Date army herded the young couple to ride next to each other multiple times along the way. They refused to speak any more than necessary, let alone look at each other. Rin usually made sure she stayed at his right side or behind him and he didn't do much to change positions.

They refused to show their true emotions to each other and continually kept up a cold facade and an aloof air about them. Despite their anger though, they both worried. They desperately wanted to make up and go back to how things were before but because of the intensity of their first real argument and the new uncertainty of Kojuro's rescue, they remained stuck as they were.

It was pure torture.

Rin wanted so badly to just apologize, but she was too afraid and couldn't work up any courage to face Date. She reminded herself that she had been the one to walk away without apologizing first and that this could have been avoided if she hadn't been so dramatic that night. She would have gladly apologized first though, if she weren't so afraid of approaching Masamune... She chastised herself constantly for being such a coward. What was she afraid of, after all? It was only Masamune. She loved him. She knew he loved her, even though he'd never once confessed it to her, so why was she so damned hesitant? Why couldn't she just take the first step, when she was so ready to succumb and break down to him?

On Masamune's side of the argument, well, he was just too proud. As much as he hated having to ignore Rin, he couldn't bear the thought of being the first to break down. Dragons simply didn't do that, even for love. He knew he could apologize to her... But he would not be the first one to do so. He knew this was wrong of him, but he couldn't help it. He'd already suffered humiliation of being the first to break against Toyotomi, _twice _even, so no way would he be the first to break during such a petty argument. He could hold out during that, at the very least.

That afternoon, the Date army were currently resting on the bank of Uesugi Kenshin's territory. They all waited warily to see if the War God would come out to meet them and Masamune was by himself as he practiced his sword swings with the Kokuryu in one of the fields. He seemed to be completely lost in his thoughts when suddenly remembered the time when Kojuro had wanted to commit seppuku. He had failed to protect his lord and wanted to be punished for it.

He had given Kojuro a pretty good bruise on the face for it, and he remembered the pain that coursed up his broken arm on impact. Masamune sighed. It had been a dark moment… But then, later that day, Rin had managed to lighten the air between the men and things had returned to normal. If she hadn't been there to soothe their angry hearts, Masamune thought it probably would have taken even longer before he forgave Kojuro.

That's right... Rin had...

He looked over to the side and suddenly noticed Rin's lone form on the bank of the water just up ahead. He sighed.

If he couldn't have Kojuro by his side as his Right-Eye, he should at least have Rin at his back as his Shadow. A shadow was never supposed to leave its master's side and neither would it unless the light stopped shining. Well... At the moment, it seemed that with this argument hanging over them, their light was somewhat obscured. He would just have to grit his teeth and shine that light again.

He sheathed his practice sword and tried walking confidently towards her.

* * *

Rin sighed deeply as she looked over the pond. She stared at her reflection as her cheek rested heavily on her fist and she took a deep breath, breathing in the pleasant breeze that blew by. The wind blew ripples over her reflection in the water and she watched the rings spread out.

It was so quiet without having to be by Masamune's side. Boring too... He never really talked much when they were together though. Actually, she had usually been the one to uphold most conversations with her random ramblings but he always seemed to have an innuendo ready and never seemed to be shy to tease her about her constant embarrassment of PDA. She also seemed to be a constant subject of sexual harassment in his presence, but she had always forced herself to endure it despite her discomfort because she knew that was really the only way the one-eyed general could express his affection.

It didn't seem weird to her because that's just how she decided that he was, but now as she thought about it, she wondered why that was. Why was it that the One-Eyed Dragon couldn't express his love through anything but touch?

Thinking really far back on it, she realized that not once in the time they had been a couple, had he ever told her he loved her. She had overlooked it until then, but now... Why _was _it that he never said "I love you" to her? It was so obvious that he loved her as much as she did him, but then why wouldn't he say those three simple words? Was she not good enough? Was he just more shy than she thought? Or maybe, he didn't really love her... Maybe he never said the words because he didn't believe her worthy of them. The thought depressed her and suddenly she pulled her knees against her chest to hug them tightly as the sudden idea started niggling around her head.

_That couldn't be it... _she tried consoling herself. _Masamune just isn't the type to throw around words carelessly, that's all. And he isn't going to tell you that either now because you were so petulant the last time you got to talk to him. _She sighed loudly as she berated herself, _oh why, oh why can't you just talk to him? He's supposed to be your fiancee, so shouldn't you be able to apologize to him freely? Stupid Rin, stupid-!_

"_**Yo**_, you want some company?"

Rin jumped slightly at the sudden familiar voice and she blinked a few times as if she couldn't believe her ears. She turned to glance at Date before replying uncertainly, "Ah, sure…?" She had said this more question like than approval; as if she were really asking _him_ if it was okay instead of the other way around.

Masamune seated himself beside her deliberately. He was careful not sit too close because he knew sudden acts involving any sort of connection could scare her, but he was nearby enough to be able to hold her if and when the chance arose. He moved to sit on his back on the sloping hill and used his arms to cushion his head. They sat in awkward silence until Rin suddenly shouted in embarrassment, "Masamune!"

"Mm?" he answered somewhat sleepily. He seemed so relaxed and laid-back in Rin's eyes, but really he was wide awake and alert to every move she made, making sure that she wasn't about to run away. He studied her carefully out of the corner of his eye. He noticed that the more relaxed he looked to her, the calmer she made herself feel and the more determined she became to say... Whatever it was she wanted to say.

Even though she wasn't sitting in seiza, Rin had pulled her knees up to her chin and her hands fluttered on top of them, "I-I…"' She stuttered. Masamune sat up now to watch her more and waited patiently as Rin tried hiding her red face in her hands. She finally choked out, "I… Love you."

He smiled at their reflections in the water and hummed approvingly before using his typical reply of, "I know, Rin."

She knew that as a man of few words, he often showed his feelings through actions rather than words and he scooted closer to her; then reached out to pull her head against his side.

What she didn't know, was that he hesitated only slightly before touching her. He was afraid of being too forward again until Rin unwrapped her arms from her knees to reach around his chest and he hummed again, now confident that they were on their way back to touching terms.

"A-and… I… Only want you to stay safe. You know that, right?" Rin asked in a small voice against his side. She was still trying to hide her face and apparent embarrassment by pressing her face against him. Her voice was slightly muffled and he couldn't help but smile at the innocence of it all. When it came to expressing affectionate emotions, Rin was really about as awkward as a teenage girl encountering her first crush. "What I mean to say is that I'm sorry, so please forgive me!" she finally said in a rush, her eyes still tightly closed and she gripped his blue shirt with equal tightness. "I didn't really mean to anger you that night, so… Please!" she held her breath as Masamune began laughing silently.

She had burrowed her face into his side in an attempt to make her form smaller and Masamune chuckled, louder this time. He reached down to grip her chin firmly, tugging so she would look at him. She averted her eyes immediately and wouldn't meet his gaze. With a sort of defeated sigh he smiled. He blew gently on her hair so her hair ruffled slightly and she finally looked up to frown at him so he took the moment to kiss her forehead. Suddenly she squeezed her eyes shut and she could feel his lips curl into a smile.

"Rin, look at me," Date ordered softly as he pulled back. She peeked at him timidly for what seemed to be less than half a second before hiding her face again and he laughed quietly before lecturing mildly, "You're too soft-hearted for your own good. If you were always this easy to break down, you'd never survive in this war without me. But… I know how strong you really are… You're not weak, for a woman, and I admire you for it." He laughed and Rin peeked from his side again, finally smiling with relief. He held her tightly and said, "I'm…" he faltered slightly and cleared his throat before continuing, "Sorry, too. I shouldn't have mentioned your army. It was a _**low blow**_, and I knew it. I just... Wanted you to cry or something so I could hold you as an apology. I didn't think you'd leave."

Rin smiled weakly, now brave enough to show her face again. She repeated, "I'm sorry... I understood what you wanted, sort of, but I was too angry to be the weak one. But..." she closed her eyes and said quietly, "I'm glad that you, Masamune, wanted to apologize first. But we're stronger now because of it, right?"

He nodded with a grin, leaning down to kiss her nose, "Of course, we are. We're the Strongest Couple in the Land of the Rising Sun, right?"

Rin laughed, "Since when were we ever called that?"

"Since we decided to stick together for the rest of our lives," Date said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice and Rin laughed again.

"I never said I'd stay with you for the rest of my life," Rin murmured. Date frowned but then Rin laughed, "I said I'd stay with you _forever, _you big jerk."

"Ahh," he said with a laugh. He grinned as he teased, "That's right, I remember now. You were drunk at the time, right?"

Rin flushed as she said indignantly, "Of course not, you jerk! I was being completely serious unlike _other_ people around here! Besides, you know I have a low tolerance to alcohol in comparison to those who practically swim in it!"

She poked him gently on the nose and he laughed, "Well… Maybe you're right... Maybe _I _was the one who was drunk and didn't hear you properly. Perhaps you could vow to me again?"

Rin laughed softly, "Fine. I'm not hesitant about saying things like that. So, _Date Masamune, _are you quite sober right now?"

"Quite," he nodded in mock seriousness. "Although that may change if this vow isn't _**serious**_ enough."

Rin rolled her eyes, but pulled back to stare at him seriously. "Alright then. I, Kazehaya Rin, the Crimson Shinigami and One-Eyed Dragon's Shadow, promises to stay by Date Masamune, the One-Eyed Dragon's, side forever and will never fall from him. I, Rin, will always support him, Masamune, no matter what. There, happy?" Suddenly he began laughing loudly and Rin pouted, "You jerk! I was totally serious about that whole thing and now you're laughing at me!"

Date stifled his laughter before choking out, "I'm sorry, I'm _sorry! _It's just that... I don't know, you're just too into it!"

She looked at him curiously and asked, "Eh? How so? You said you wanted a serious vow!"

He smiled as he held her tightly and murmured against her head, "What I really meant was that a simple kiss or 'I love you' is enough of a vow for me... So whatever you do, don't stop that, at least..."

Rin blushed slightly as she replied, "Sure, whatever you say One-Eyed Dragon-san."

Date said somberly, "Growing up in a world where women hated me, I never got any of that, even from my own mother, so when you do it... It reminds me that I'm not completely hated by them."

"No woman could ever hate you now," Rin teased, "In fact, maybe that would be better if they did so I wouldn't have so much competition."

Date laughed, "No need to worry about that. No one could rival you... Because like you, I promise to never leave your side."

The two laughed again together and settled in a renewed silence, this time comfortable and relaxed. Rin nuzzled her face into Date's side and then returning to the subject of their previous argument murmured, "Just promise me you won't do anything reckless like fighting an experienced and well-rested monster while worn beyond human limits, okay? Without Kojuro constantly looking over you, I think sometimes you're just too careless for your own good."

"_**What**_?" he asked amused, "You think I can't pull my own _**stunts**_?"

"You know that isn't it at all," Rin sighed somewhat irritably now as Masamune pulled her closer. He aimed to kiss her but she turned her face at the last moment so he could only touch her cheek. She placed her hand over his lips and said seriously, "I just want you to promise that you'll be more careful. That's all I ask."

She moved her hand and he grinned, "_**All right**_. I promise."

Rin raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "_Promise_ promise?"

Masamune held back a laugh and raised his right hand, then said with mock seriousness, "_**Dragon's honor**_." He wrapped his arm around her again to hold her and with a playful smirk said, "So let's seal it with a kiss, eh?"

Rin rolled her eyes as a blush crept onto her face but she smiled and said with mock annoyance, "You are, _by far_, the most single-minded man in the world."

"I try," Masamune said with a grin and finally closing the space between them.

* * *

A/N: ... You know... I think this really was the first time I portrayed Rin and Masamune arguing. ... Like, seriously, they were like the perfect fucking couple who never fought until now. Well, thank God that's over. =w= They needed to fight... It's healthy...

Anywho, it's been a while since I last updated! Sorry about that! It's gonna take me a while to update the next chapter too since I have to re-watch season II of BASARA. 'Cuz... I completely forgot what happened then. I mean, I've been so busy with my other BASARA fanfics and watching The Last Party, the events of season two have just... Gone. Gone with the wind!

Eh heh... So.. Please have patience with me... The last time I wrote for this fic was in December and since I tend to type chapters in an unlinear order I've already written the climax of the final chapter and a few little bits in between. ... The only thing I have to do, basically, is bridge them together so they aren't so random and jumbled up. -sigh- So much work...

And I have to figure out how to bring Maka and Akane back into the story... They're both kind of bitchy... But... I love them anyways... Geh... OCs...

- Jackal

(I mean, for the love of God, why did I not have these two have a serious argument before?! It opens up so many new ideas for future chapters! Mwuahahaha!)


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